EP REVIEW: III – Zebrahead
III marks a new chapter for Orange County rock group ZEBRAHEAD. The band have been around since 1996, with an impressive 13 studio albums to their name to date. However, in 2021, vocalist and guitarist Matty Lewis hung up his microphone and left the band. With no bad blood between them, the rest of ZEBRAHEAD wished him well and recruited Adrian Estella – a long-time member of the punk scene – as a co-vocalist. Now Estella makes his first appearance with the band on this record, which is their sixth EP.
The EP opens with Lay Me To Rest, the first song released as a single. It starts off with a calming piano introduction before embracing the punk sound the band are known for. The guitars and drums are heavy, which contrast with the piano that is played during the pre-chorus. However, the different instruments never feel out of place. In fact, they compliment each other, and show that even after over 20 years on the scene, ZEBRAHEAD know how to change things up. It is a fantastic opening song that introduces the band to newcomers and is a warm welcome to old fans.
A Long Way Down takes on electronic rock influences and plays about with them. It is a calmer song than the opener, however, this is not bad. Estella‘s co-vocalist Ali Tabatabaee is given a chance to flex his rapping skills in the second verse and the bridge. The production on this song is fantastic. The pacing of the song is mid-tempo, which does contrast to the fast-paced opener. However, this does not feel out of place because the songs fit neatly together. The band obviously know their sound by now, and are not afraid to go outside their comfort zone either.
Homesick For Hope swerves into nu-metal territory. It is a frantic song, with rapping, heavy metal guitars and a definite step into new territory for the band. The song is reminiscent of LINKIN PARK. Unfortunately, it is a short song, and ends just as it is about to get interesting. This therefore leaves things feeling a little anti-climatic. It is a shame, because up until this point, the EP was striding along well. However, not every song needs to be a masterpiece, so this is not too bad. The pacing of the EP is affected a bit as the song feels out of place, and the songs beforehand had a rhythm to them that is not matched here.
Penultimate track Out Of Time is another shorter song which makes the most of its short runtime and draws continued LINKIN PARK comparisons. Tabatabaee showcases his rapping skills again here, and the mid-tempo pacing of the song works well within the overall pacing of the EP. Closer Russian Roulette Is For Lovers? reverts back to the rock sound of the earlier songs and the results pass with flying colours. The pacing of the song is fast, but this does not affect the EP’s sound. The return to basics means that ZEBRAHEAD are back on their A-game.
Overall, III is a fantastic EP from a band who are over 20 years into their career and have just had a new member added to their ranks. Despite a couple of songs that don’t quite fit the tone of the overall EP, the band knows how to mix things up whilst also sticking to the sound that they have established over the years. Most bands would be in a muddle this far into their career, but not ZEBRAHEAD; this EP is them at their best.
Rating: 8/10
III is set for release on November 26th via MFZB Records/Avex Group (Japan).
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